Without wasting time, she grabbed only the essentials and decided they had to leave immediately. But just as they reached the door, the deadbolt locked on its own and the home security system activated remotely. In that moment, she realized the house had been turned into a trap.
As she tried calling Ethan and emergency services, more details made the situation feel even worse. The Wi-Fi had already been disabled, and when she looked outside, she saw Ethan’s car still in the driveway. He had never really left.
Then the garage opened and footsteps entered the house. She hid Mia in a closet, armed herself with a heavy lamp, and stood between her daughter and the danger. When a man outside the door claimed to be maintenance sent by her husband, she knew it was a lie and warned him the police were coming.
